Kentucky

3 Keys to Victory for Auburn over Kentucky

Published

1 year ago

October 25, 2024

3 Keys to Victory for Auburn over Kentucky

The Auburn Tigers take on the Kentucky Wildcats on the road at Kroger Field in Lexington on Saturday night.

The Tigers will be looking to snap their four-game losing streak, but come into this contest as a 1.5-point underdog. Kentucky is on a two-game losing streak, meaning both teams will be hungry for a win.

Here are three keys to victory for Auburn.

Keep Kentucky’s defensive line out of the backfield

There is likely never going to be a game for any team where this is not a priority, but it will be even more important than usual for Auburn this week as Kentucky boasts one of the SEC’s best defensive fronts.

The Wildcats’ defensive line is led by Deone Walker and Octavius Oxendine, both players who are on Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze’s radar.

“This defensive front, it starts there,” Freeze said earlier this week. “They’re the real deal. Zero (Deone Walker) is probably a top 15 pick in the Draft. Eight (Octavious Oxendine) is pretty dang salty, too. The backers are really, really talented. They can run in the secondary. It’s one of the better defenses we’ve seen.”

Kentucky is fourth in the SEC in yards allowed per game (283.6) and its defensive front and linebackers recieve a lot of credit for the unit’s success.

Find ways to get Jarquez Hunter involved

Auburn did a better job of getting star running back Jarquez Hunter the ball against Missouri, but he was limited to 57 yards off 19 carries by Missouri’s talented defensive front.

The Tigers could find themselves in a similar position against Kentucky this week, so head coach Hugh Freeze and company need to get creative when it comes to getting the ball into Hunter’s hands.

This could include prioritizing rushes to the outside or increasing the number of targets Hunter gets in the passing game. No matter where they come from, it is important for Hunter to get touches.

Take care of the football

While turnovers were a constant problem for Auburn in the first half of the season, it appears to have gotten it under control. The Tigers have played two games in a row without turning the ball over.

Despite only two turnovers in their last three games, Auburn has still lost 16 turnovers this season, placing it at No. 129 in FBS.

Particularly when playing on the road, winning the game becomes significantly harder when you can’t take care of the football. Auburn needs to emphasize ball security in Lexington.

Kick off is set for 6:45 p.m. CT and SEC Network will carry the television broadcast.

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Kentucky

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear criticizes Gaza ‘genocide’ discourse | The Jerusalem Post

Published

10 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear criticizes Gaza ‘genocide’ discourse | The Jerusalem Post

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declined to label Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” in an interview with Politico published Sunday, instead critiquing the question as a litmus test among Democrats.

“That’s becoming one of those new litmus tests that we said we would never do as a party again,” Beshear told Politico’s Dasha Burns after being asked if he agreed with the label. “It’s trying to throw out a word and, ‘Are you going to raise your hand or are you not going to?’”

Beshear is the Democratic governor of a solidly red state and a potential 2028 presidential contender. His remarks come as Democratic candidates increasingly grapple with their stances on Israel amid record-low support for Israel among their base.

While several lawmakers, including Vermont’s Jewish Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, have called Israel’s actions in Gaza a “genocide,” the label has not gained mainstream support in the Democratic Party. Last October, former Vice President Kamala Harris declined to use the “genocide” label, which Israel had long rejected, but said, “We should all step back and ask this question and be honest about it.”

Some Democrats have embraced the question, with a New York congressional candidate telling the leftist streamer Hasan Piker this week that she is “100%” comfortable with the issue serving as a litmus test in her party.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear visits ”The Sunday Briefing” with Peter Doocy at FOX News D.C. Bureau on February 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (credit: PAUL MORIGI/GETTY IMAGES)

Others have acted as though the litmus test is already in place. In January, for example, California congressional candidate Scott Wiener announced that he believes Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute a genocide after drawing scrutiny for declining to answer the question during a debate.

Beshear critiques Trump, Netanyahu

While Beshear told Burns that Israel “has the right to exist as a democratic country, as a Jewish country,” he added that his feelings about President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conduct during the war in Gaza and ongoing war in Iran were “a different thing.”

“I believe the United States needs a strong Israel, but not one with decisions being made in the way that Netanyahu is making them,” Beshear said.

Beshear also critiqued President Donald Trump’s response to the crisis in Gaza.

“I believe that it could have been done without a lot of the suffering, but I put a lot of that blame also on Donald Trump,” he said. “If he’d said we are coming in and we are bringing food and aid and you are going to make sure that we’re safe, it would’ve happened.”

Last week, a spokesperson for Beshear told Politico that “AIPAC has never contributed to Governor Beshear and they’re never going to – ever,” a response that dovetailed with a host of other potential Democratic presidential candidates, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who are increasingly distancing themselves from the pro-Israel lobby.

“I think that’s up to each and every Democrat,” Beshear answered when asked whether he thought his fellow Democrats should take money from AIPAC.

“In the end, I think people need to be clear about their stance on these issues,” Beshear said. “And for me, it’s one where I believe that we need a future with an ally in Israel. But we need decision makers there that are not acting the way that Netanyahu is, and we need a president that will push when we are seeing humanitarian crises to actually do something about it.”

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Kentucky

Kentucky Wildcats News: McDonald’s All-American Gameday

Published

22 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky Wildcats News: McDonald’s All-American Gameday

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: MAR 27 McDonald’s All American

GLENDALE, AZ – MARCH 27: McDonalds High School All American forward Tyran Stokes (4) poses for a photo on portrait day for the 2026 McDonalds High School All American Games on March 27, 2026, at Renaissance Hotel at Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

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Kentucky

Mark Pope must land this Kentucky native in the transfer portal who shoots 47% from three

Published

1 day ago

March 30, 2026

Press Room

Mark Pope must land this Kentucky native in the transfer portal who shoots 47% from three

A massive addition to the transfer portal just happened as former Liberty guard Brett Decker Jr. announced that he plans to hit the portal when it opens on April 7th. This should immediately catch the eye of Mark Pope, as Decker Jr. is a Kentucky native from Elizabethtown.

This season for the Flames of Liberty, Decker Jr. averaged 16.9 points per game while shooting 49.9% from the field and 47.1% from three. Decker Jr. will more than likely end up being the best three-point shooter in the transfer portal, so knowing this, plus the fact that he is a Kentucky native, Coach Pope needs to do everything in his power to land Decker Jr.

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope reacts to a play during the first half against the Iowa State Cyclones during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Last season, the Wildcats didn’t have that much three-point shooting outside of Collin Chandler. Otega Oweh, Denzel Aberdeen, and Kam Williams all were solid shooting the three ball, but Chandler was the only player fans could rely on to make one from deep.

When Pope doesn’t have a lot of players who are capable of making threes, his offense isn’t going to be that good, and this is why the Wildcats had a rough season last year. Coach Pope needs to learn from this mistake and make sure that he adds a bunch of players via the portal who can fill it up from deep. Obviously, Decker Jr. is a player who makes a ton of sense for this staff to target to come in and play the Koby Brea role.

If Decker Jr. does pick Kentucky, he could come off the bench as a flamethrower from deep, and in the games where he just can’t seem to miss, Pope won’t take him off the floor. When it comes to the other backcourt members Pope recruits, he will need guys who can score all over the floor, while Decker Jr. could just be the shooter for this team.

Nevada guard Vaughn Weems (7) drives past Liberty guard Brett Decker Jr. (4) during the first half of a basketball game against Liberty during the Second Round of the National Invitation Tournament played at Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nev., Saturday, March 21, 2026. | Tom R. Smedes/Special to RGJ / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Decker Jr. is only a sophomore, so if Kentucky were to land him, he could develop the rest of his game and be one of the better players in the nation during his final two seasons of college hoops. Pope needs players who are going to be knockdown shooters from deep, and a good start would be to land the best shooter in the portal.

If Kentucky is able to land Decker Jr., Pope will still need to go out and get some more players who can be reliable from three, but he would be an excellent start. Coach Pope needs to do everything in his power to bring the Kentucky kid home.

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